“Demolishing checkboxes”

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This passage divides easily into smaller sections or paragraphs:  three in some English translations (ESV, NASB) or four in others (NIV, NLT).  Although the original documents in the first century did not divide between paragraphs (or sentences or even between individual words!), those divisions in English translation are often helpful in understanding the ancient writer’s thought process.  As seen in the handout for this study, we looked at John’s writing as four distinct paragraphs.

Saying and Doing (1 John 2:4-6)

One of the first comments on this section was the frequent number of times John mentions “He” or “His” or “Him,” pronouns referring to God.  In fact, looking at the rest of the passage, those pronouns are used in this first paragraph more times that in all of the rest of the passage.

Not only that, but those pronouns all have a relational emphasis: “know Him” (v. 4a), “keep His commandments” (v. 4b), “keep His word” (v. 5a), “in Him” (v. 5b), and “abides in Him” (v. 6a).  The genuine relationship with God is marked by attitudes and behavior.

whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected.
(1 John 2:5a)

Someone in our group pointed out the progression in John’s descriptions of what it means to know God (v. 4).

• • Keep His commandments (v. 4b)
  • Keep His word (v. 5a)
  • Walk as He walked (v. 6b)

Keeping His “commandments” might be reduced to a checklist, just like the rich, young ruler’s question: “Which ones?” (Matthew 19:18; cf. Mark 10:17-22, Luke 18:18-23[1]).  Keeping His “word” (v. 5) broadens the criteria to all that Jesus said, or at least what is recorded in the written Word.  Finally, John describes that relationship as a “walk” with Jesus as the standard.  “Walk as He walked” is not a checklist.  A person in our group asked what that looked like, but we didn’t really find an answer.  That might be John’s point.  That “walk” is a day-by-day, moment-by-moment relationship, dependent on the Holy Spirit, informed by our knowledge of Scripture, as we make decisions and choices.

We considered the once-popular wrist bands, “WWJD,” “What Would Jesus Do?”  We agreed that such an approach is much too subjective.  We are too likely to fit our desired actions into a generic understanding of the love or justice or mercy or judgment of Jesus.  Perhaps a better criterion is God obsession:  What will bring glory to God at whatever cost to myself?  That is still imprecise and Spirit-dependent, and leaves the possibility of mistakes and failures in walking as He walked.  Yet we can trust in our relationship with God even if we get it wrong.  Our behavior is the indicator, not the requirement, of our relationship.  John has earlier established the foundation of that relationship in the forgiveness and cleansing and advocacy and propitiation provided by Jesus (1 John 1:7, 9; 2:1, 2).

Old and New (1 John 2:7-8)

At first, the second “paragraph” in this portion of John’s letter is perplexing as he begins referring to a “commandment.”  And one person in our discussion asked if he is contradicting himself:

I am not writing a new commandment….(v. 7)
I am writing a new commandment to you….(v. 8)

What commandment does he mean?  And is it old, or is it new?

One suggestion connected this reference to the previous mention of “keeping His commandments” in verse 4.  However, John changes from the plural “commandments” to a single “commandment” here.  Several comments mentioned the Ten Commandments as a possible meaning, but nothing so far in John’s letter points in that direction.  Plus, as mentioned above, he seems to intentionally narrow the focus from “commandments” to “word” to “walk.” That progression emphasizes that knowing God is not a simple matter of keeping score on a checklist (remember the rich young ruler!).

This paragraph may be a continuation of John’s increasing focus.  Back to the question from our group (and perhaps the original readers would have the same question), what does that “walk” look like?  Do we have any guidance at all?  John’s guidance seems to be concentrated in this old/new commandment.

As we looked to the next paragraph, he turns to the subject of loving others, so that may be a clue to the identity of the old/new commandment.

Love and Hate (1 John 2:9-11)

The old/new commandment links “walking as He walked” (v. 6 in the preceding paragraph) and loving others (v. 10 in the following paragraph).  As someone commented, that shouldn’t be surprising.  Jesus emphasized that love would be the recognizable mark of His genuine followers. In fact, Jesus used the description of a “new commandment” in that passage in John’s gospel account.

³³ Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come. ³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
(John 13:33-35, emphasis added)

Yet John felt it necessary to draw the distinction between an old and a new commandment. Why?

Look again at Matthew’s account of the rich young ruler.  Jesus’ reply provides another possible pointer to the “new commandment.”

¹⁸ Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; ¹⁹ Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
(Matthew 19:18-19)

Jesus provides five examples from the Ten Commandments (numbers 6,7, 8, 9, and 5) with an addition from Leviticus.

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
(Leviticus 19:18b)

Along with the potential “checkboxes” (“I didn’t murder, I didn’t steal, …”) Jesus lists the command to love.  (Note that the only explicit reference to love in the Ten Commandments is love for God, found in the second commandment about idolatry.  Jesus specifically omitted that more heart-focused commandment, along the first commandment about “no gods before Me” and others about God’s Name, Sabbath, and coveting.[2])  “Love your neighbor” adds a new aspect. It is a positive instruction instead of another “Thou shalt not…,” and for that reason it is much more difficult to condense into a checkbox.

The rich young ruler casually claimed compliance, “All these things I have kept.”  But the application Jesus suggested, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor,” spoke directly to the command not included in the Decalogue, “Love your neighbor.”

A member of our group read Leviticus 19 aloud to provide the context of “Love your neighbor.”  He then commented on how many practical instructions lead up to that familiar verse.  The chapter includes prohibitions against stealing, dealing falsely, lying, oppression, injustice, hate, vengeance, grudges (Leviticus 19:11-18).  These provide significant detail to what exactly “love your neighbor as yourself” means in verse 18.

However, another detail was clarified by the context. While there is a reference to “the needy and the stranger” (v. 10), many of the instructions have specific groups in mind.

• • One another (v. 11)
  • Your neighbor (vv. 13, 15, 16, 17)
  • Your people (v. 16)
  • Your fellow countryman (v. 17)
  • The sons of your people (v. 18)

The last example is part of verse 18 itself:

You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.
(Leviticus 19:18, emphasis added)

It is easy to see how the Old Testament command to “love your neighbor” was interpreted very narrowly.  The lawyer questioning Jesus, like the rich young ruler, was looking for clearly defined limits.

But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
(Luke 10:29)

Perhaps that lawyer was looking for more checkboxes: my fellow countryman, the sons of my people, etc.

The response from Jesus demolished that check-box, minimum effort, lowest-common denominator mentality with the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37).  As a person in our group reminded us, that is exactly the pattern Jesus used in the Sermon on the Mount.  He took commands from the Law (murder, adultery) and broadened the application to include the heart attitude as well as the overt act.  Likewise, Jesus expanded the understanding of love your neighbor.

John describes an old commandment (from Leviticus) with the new perspective provided by Jesus.  It is as if John’s old/new commandment language was saying,

You have heard that it was said love your Israelite brothers,
but I say to you love your brothers, those from Jewish, Greek Roman, even pagan or atheist backgrounds.

This third paragraph (vv. 9-11) and the previous verses 7-8 return to the light and darkness imagery to provide a link to the beginning of John’s letter.

⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
(1 John 1:5-6, emphasis added)

John picks up the theme of light and darkness and the connection between words and deeds to emphasize that the new perspective on the old commandment: Loving others – this is the message!

The third section summarizes and applies the principles in the two previous paragraphs.

• • Keeping His commandments demonstrates knowing Him. (vv. 4-6)
  • He showed us a new perspective on an old commandment about love. (vv. 7-8)
  • Loving others demonstrates living in God’s light. (vv. 9-11)

That “new commandment” from Leviticus is a theme through the New Testament, repeated at least seven times in addition to John’s indirect reference.

Matthew 19:19   Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 22:39   The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Mark 12:31        The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Luke 10:27         And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

Romans 13:9      For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 5:14    For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

James 2:8           If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

Writing and Written (1 John 2:12-14)

The text takes a dramatic and noticeable change in verse 12.  John adopts an almost poetic form[3] with repetition and rewording, adding even more obvious structure in his pattern for “rhetorical effect.”[4]

This letter has been a combination of strong statements about remaining in the dark and not really knowing God, intermixed with comforting reassurances about forgiveness in failures and complete cleansing.

One person suggested that this next section (vv. 12-14) is John’s intended encouragement.  Because of time limitations, we were not able to pursue that insight, but postponed that discussion until another week.  The handout 1 John 2:12-14 Two Sequences focuses on those verses with questions to consider in preparation for our next time together.

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[1] Interestingly, John is the only evangelist who does not mention this incident in the his gospel account.

[2] https://www.oneforisrael.org/jesus-and-the-ten-commandments/

[3] Robert L. Plummer, E. Roderick Elledge, 1-3 John, Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: B&H Academic, 2024), 44.

[4] Karen H. Jobes, 1, 2, and 3 John, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Academic, 2014), 102.